Toothbrush with a flexible head



| R. BRESSLER 2,676,350

TOOTHBRUSH WITH A FLEXIBLE HEAD April 27, 1954 Filed March 16, 1953 IN V EN TOR.

Mi fleMx Patented Apr. 27, 1954 TOOTHBRUSH WITH A HEAD Louis B. Bressler, Southampton, Mass, assignor to Stanley Home Products, Inc., Westfield, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 16, 1953, Serial No. 842,641

2 Claims. (Cl. -167) This invention relates to brushes and for purposes of disclosure, the novel features will be described in connection with a toothbrush. This application is a continuation in part of an applicationfiled by me on May 12 1950, bearing Ser. No. 161,694 which matured as Patent No. 2,631,320.

The principal objects of the invention are di rectedto the provision of a toothbrush having a sectionalized head to provide flexibility in, using the toothbrush. I

- According to novel features of the invention, a resilient member. is incorporated in the sectionalized head which is of such-a character as to withstandcorrosion and breakage and secures the head sections together for relative flexing movenients.

Sectionalized heads have been provided with metallic flexible members but have objections in that the metal corrodes readily, does not bond sufiiciently to the material of the sections, and soon sets so as to lose its flexibility or breaks. Furthen-in'the manufacture of the brush where holesfor the tufts are drilled, it is impossible to drill through the metal.

According to thisinvention, a flexible member is provided which is formed from plastic, such as nylon, about which the head sections are molded. After the molding operation, the holes for the bristle tufts are drilled through the resilient member and the tufts are anchored in the holes or sockets and extend through and beyond the flexible member.

All of the above objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangements of parts thereof, as will fully appear by a perusal of the description below and by various specific features which will be hereinafter set forth.

To the above cited and other ends and with the foregoing and various other novel features and advantages and other objects of my invention as will become more readily apparent as the description proceeds, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed and more fully described and referred to in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figs. 1 and 2 are plan and side elevational views of the head end of a toothbrush embodying the novel features of the invention; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 showing means for anchoring the bristles in the head sections.

. Referring now-to the drawingsmore in detail,

the invention will be fully described.

The head of the toothbrush isrepresented by 2 and includes an outer end sectionA, an inner end section '6 and intermediate sections 8. A handle I0 ofusual form extends from the section 6. I

The toothbrush ismolded in a. mold and under heat and pressure fromplasticmaterial and the sections in the molding operation enclose an elongated flat resilientspring like member l2.

The member 12 is located in the mold so as to extend through the intermediate sections and terminate in the inner and outer endsections. The mold is formed so as to provide spaces i l between the sections and the member I2 may be provided with notches on, opposite sides 13 coinciding-with the spaces between the sections.

The member 12 will'be formed from nylon whichis very strongiand capable of flexing betwee the sections many millions of times without rupture, wherefore the sections are relatively movable. Thenotches l3 enhance the flexibility of theimember l2. f

' Subsequent to the "molding operation, holes or socketslfor tuftsof bristles I6 are provided, Said socketsin thepreferred way are formed by drilling and extend upwardly through the lower portion! of the sections, through the member l2 and upwardly into the upper portion 20 of the sections as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The resilient member being plastic the sockets extend therethrough so that the tufts of bristles have upper end extending upwardly into the upper portions of the sections which is desirable for suitable securement of the bristle tufts.

The bristle tufts 22 include a plurality of bristles 24 which are doubled upon themselves intermediate their ends and inserted in the sockets.

The tufts are secured in the sockets by what will be called anchors and to explain the securement a single bristle 24 is shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

In Fig.- 3 the anchor consists of an elongated member which may be small wire as 30 which overlies the bristles and is wedged into the socket. By doubling the bristles, the anchor lies within a loop 24' of the bristles.

In another way, as in Fig. 4. a staple 32 is driven into the upper portion 20 of the section and engages the loop 24" of the bristles.

The sockets will be of such a diameter as to snugly receive the doubled bristles forming the tufts and the anchors will securely hold the bristies of the tufts in the bottoms of the sockets.

The tufts extend through the resilient member so as to be secured in the upper portions of the sockets whereby the bristles are secured against displacement.

The member 12 being formed from nylon is sufficiently stiff to retain the sections in the desired relationship but possesses flexibility whereby the sections maybe relatively flexed many millions of times.

Nylon is a generic name for materials defined as synthetic fiber-forming polymeric amides having protein-like chemical structure derived from coal, air and water, or other non-metallic substances characterized by great strength and flexibility and resistance to fatigue and corrosion.

It will be noted that the sections of the head are molded around and flexiblyconnectedby a resilient member for readily flexing movements of the sections. The sockets in which thebristle tufts are anchored extend through the flexible member with thetufts being anchored above the flexible member thereby insuring against relative dis-placement of th parts.

While I have illustrated anddescribed the invention as embodied in a specific arrangement, 'I do not intend to be limited -to the details shown since various modifications and structural changes may be made withoutdepartin'g in any'way'from the spirit of the invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the-gist of my'invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without-omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics'of the generic or specific aspects of this invention, and therefore, such adaptations should'and are intended to be comprehended Within the meaning and range of equivalence of the claims'ibelow.

What it is desired to 'claimand secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A brush constructionhaving a flexible bristle carrying portioncomprising, said bristle carrying portion including opposite end "sectionsand intermediate sections therebetween formed from 4 plastic material, an elongated relatively thin resilbled upon themselves with the doubled portions extending upwardly in said sockets and anchors securing said tufts in the terminations of said sockets.

2. 'A'toot'hbrush having a flexible head comprising, an elongatedhandle and a sectionalized head at one endthereof molded about a resilient member, said head including an inner head section integral with an end of said handle and an outer head section and a plurality of intermediate head sections therebetween, said'resilientmembercomprising an elongated'strip'of relatively thin plastic material havin'g opposite'ends disposed-insaid inner and outer head sections "and "an intermediateportion extending through said intermediate sections, adjacent sides-of adjacent sections being spaced apart a relatively small distance and said resilient member being disposed-intermediate upper and lower portions-of said sections, said sections provided with sockets for bristle "tufts extending upwardly through the lower portions thereof and through said resilient =member and terminating in the upper portions thereof above said resilient member, upperportions of tufts of bristles disposed in said sockets, andanchors securing said bristle tufts "in' the uppertermin'ations of said sockets.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,466,723 Izawa "Sept. 4, :1923 1,928,328 Carpentier --Sept. 26, 1933 2,224,788 Jobst Dec. 10-, 1940 2,254,365 Griflith et'al. Sept. 2, 19 41 

